AI Entrepreneurs Lab

The AI Entrepreneurs Lab is an intensive founder acceleration initiative aimed at turning advanced research and concepts into viable businesses. Supported under the EIT Community AI & Robotics and operated by 28DIGITAL as part of the EU ApplyAI Strategy, the initiative offers hands-on development across three European cities.

Up to 15 selected participants or teams will take part in a five-day bootcamp running through Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam. At the conclusion of the programme, up to five ventures will be awarded cash prizes of up to €10,000 each to fund concrete steps toward commercialization.

Applications are accepted from individuals or small teams until 21 October 2026, at 17:00 CET. Final award recipients will be celebrated at the EU AI Summit in Brussels on 17 November 2026.

What is funded

The programme funds access to an intensive, five-day in-person bootcamp designed to test concepts against real customer demands and investor expectations. Selected participants receive founder readiness coaching, commercial-model testing, direct customer discovery, and pitch development from experienced operators and mentors.

At the culmination of the tour on Demo Day, up to five top-performing teams will each receive a cash prize of up to €10,000. These financial awards are allocated on merit based on progress and evidence demonstrated during the bootcamp, providing non-dilutive capital to support concrete venture milestones.

Additionally, the organizers may provide travel and accommodation support to cover participation costs for the Top 15 cohort members. This financial assistance remains subject to internal programme regulations and available budget.

Who can apply

Eligibility is centered on Master’s and PhD students, as well as recent graduates, who possess technical expertise and a drive to build a scalable business. Candidates can apply in their personal capacity either as solo founders or as a team consisting of up to two people.

Applicants may present an early-stage concept or a recently incorporated company, provided the startup remains at a pre-launch stage. Eligible participants must be resident or legally established within an eligible country as defined in the official Open Call documentation.

The initiative specifically targets Core AI and Robotics domains. These areas include AI agents and autonomous systems, edge AI and infrastructure, robotics intelligence, trustworthy and secure AI architectures, foundation and generative models, and industrial AI deployments.

Conditions and requirements

Artificial intelligence or robotics must be genuinely central to the proposed product or service rather than a peripheral feature. Candidates must clearly identify a real-world problem, provide a credible technical roadmap, and articulate a plausible pathway to commercial market entry.

Selected participants must commit to full in-person attendance across all five days of the travelling bootcamp, which takes place in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam from 9 to 13 November 2026. Because cohort peer-learning is a core aspect of the initiative, remote attendance is not permitted.

For prize recipients, the award may be linked to a sub-1% future-equity mechanism under terms detailed in the Open Call document. Participating founders must also be prepared to test their assumptions in public settings with mentors, corporate partners, and investors.

How to apply

Candidates must submit a single application through the official submission platform before the deadline on 21 October 2026, at 17:00 CET. Submissions require a completed online application form, individual CVs for each team member, and a short, creative presentation outlining the project concept.

Practical tip. Structure your application and presentation around verifiable evidence and technical feasibility rather than speculative pitch language, as the evaluators specifically prioritize measurable validation, genuine AI core capability, and clear customer problem alignment over polished slides.

Following the close of applications, the Top 15 finalists will be announced on 26 October 2026. Prospective applicants can also attend an official online information session scheduled for 25 September 2026 to clarify submission questions.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: ai.eitcommunity.eu.